1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a noise suppression standby switch for a instrument cable that connects a musical instrument, such as an electric guitar, to an amplifier system. This invention also include a method to suppress noise while changing a musical instrument that is connected to an amplifier system.
2. State of the Art
Often, a musician, using electrical guitars and other musical instruments connected to an amplifier system, will switch instruments during a live performance. At a typical rock concert, for example, a musician may change guitars four or five times in an hour. The musician, or a member of the stage crew, changes the guitar by removing the guitar from the instrument cable and replacing it with another guitar.
However, while the guitars are being changed, the amplifier system often produces undesirable and jarring electrical noises, sometimes called snapple or pop. There several sources of such noise. The first is from the guitar itself. A guitar is designed to produce sound. Noise is produced when the musician or member of the stage crew handles the guitar. Another source of noise is caused by electrical spikes produced as the guitar is detached or attached to the instrument cable. A final source of noise is the instrument cable itself. The detached instrument cable acts as an antenna, picking up signals from the electromagnetic fields produced by the surrounding electrical instruments and amplifying systems. Although these signals are small, the sensitive amplifying system magnifies such small signals into loud noises.
To avoid noise, the musician could turn off the amplifying system while changing the guitar. However, this is impractical. Many musicians prefer amplifiers and preamplifiers with vacuum tubes rather than with solid state components. These musicians believe that vacuum tubes amplifiers produce a more desirable sound. However, a vacuum tube needs time to build up a charge after it is turned on. Therefore, if a vacuum tube amplifier is turned off, the musician must wait a few minutes to recharge the amplifier. As a result, amplifier systems are left continually on during a performance.